I used to listen to CFNY when I was at SUNY Buffalo back in the mid to late eighties. They were my favorite then, and though I wouldn’t be surprised to hear they suck now, it would sadden me.
I’d definitely put the Thompson Twins, Bronski Beat, Cure, The Smiths, OMD, Thomas Dolby, and Jimmy Somerville in your list. I’d also throw in The Jesus and Mary Chain, Wall of Voodoo, Icicle Works, Eurythmics, UB40, Fine Young Cannibals, Sinead O’Conner, The Lightning Seeds, Trash Can Sinatras, and Flesh for Lulu. From the 90s I’d also recommend Gene, who sounds an awful lot like Morrisey.
Boy, this takes me back.
Did you know that the Thompsons weren’t even really twins? Bad enough playing that stuff they pretended was music, but to add fraud on top of it? Simply scandalous.
Granted, some of these musical choices are pretty surreal, but trying to imagine a knife-wielding Tears For Fears listener is sure curing my melancolia. Watch Me Bleed indeed. 
Psssssssss. They don’t even spell their names the same way…
Well bend me over and kick my ass, I CANNOT BELIEVE I FORGOT THE SMITHS! Hell Morrisey defined melacholia. Our local alternative station X96 morning team once commented that Morrisey’s career would be history if he ever discovered Zoloft.
Well, the knife fights were often quite one sided.:eek:
And usually involved some MontyPythonesque bravery.
The most epic fight occured at a large festival when Sisters of Mercy fans and Wall of Voodoo fans rumbled over who got to beat the stuffing out of the Kraftwerk fans. It turned out to be a moot point after hundred of lighters were lit in the balcony, someone in the audience shouted “FREE BIRD!” None of the bands knew the song and the drunk Lynyrd Skynyrd fans went on a rampage. Never again was such a concert held in Des Moines Iowa right next to the state fair.
Do even half the bands mentioned qualify as “synthpop”?
so cool, I’ve been recently making a mix tape of just this stuff! I didn’t completely focus on sadness, cause I love me some Beat Farmers & Ebn-Ozn…anyway, how’s 'bout, Howard Jones-No one ever Is To Blame, John Waite-Missing You, OMD-If You Leave, Paul Young-Every Time You Go Away, never liked that last one. We sang it, “every time you go away, you take a piece of meat with you”.
What I really want is the Time/Life series of videos from then. They were ever so fun.
I assume you own and suitably cherish the Cocteau Twins’ album Treasure…?
Tell me if you like this song. If so, I’ll suggest more. Best heard in a dark room, eyes closed, on headphones.
If I may humbly add:
“I Dream of Wires” by Gary Numan (or Robert Palmer, both are good).
I do love me some of that genre!
Yello is definitely synth and some tracks are definitely melancholic!
Let Me Cry
Lost Again
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s Dazzle Ships. Not gonna say anything else, just give this album a listen.
Killing Joke, Jesus and Mary Chain as synthpop?
I notice no mention of Look of Love by ABC which really does fit in with the request for melancholic synthpop.
Not to mention the fact that the OP hasn’t been active on SDMB for over 6 years.
Not to everybody: this thread is from September 2003 and was bumped this morning by a spammer.
The thread was bumped by a spammer (who has been dealt with), but since people seem to be participating, I’ll leave it open.
For varying definitions of melancholy, and of 80s…
Babble, basically the Thompson Twins under a different name, fit the bill even though they published in the 90s.
Men w/o Hats Pop Goes the World album I’ve always felt to be very introspective and melancholy
Anybody mention Gary Numan?
Stuff to make you feel really old, part 41821: A thread waxing nostalgic about music I really liked in high school/college (WLIR, baby!), and the original thread ITSELF is old enough to wax nostalgic about. Double whammy! (No, not Wham, they sucked)
“Killing Joke, Jesus and Mary Chain as synthpop?”
Of course. Isn’t “Eighties” the very definition of what the OP was one about 
Also keep in mind, most pop songs in the '80s had synths (and often drum machines too!) - think Jan Hammer’s Miami Vice theme - but they aren’t necessarily New Wave/New Music.
They aren’t from the 80’s, but if it’s melancholic synth pop you want then look no further than Au Revoir Simone. One of my favorite bands. Still Night, Still Light is their saddest and best.
As for the actual 80’s, Strawberry Switchblade may be your style. Also Rocketship do organ-driven gloom pop extremely well, even if they’re not quite 80’s and not quite synth. You might be into Scritti Politti or Comsat Angels as well, although they’re more post-punk and lighter on the melancholy.
Meanwhile, there’s been a pretty major revival of these kinds of sounds lately - you ever hear anyone throwing around stupid genre names like “chillwave” or “darkwave?” For that I’d recommend Chairlift, Washed Out, Cold Cave and anything from the Drive soundtrack. Not really my style, but if you’re looking for new stuff with that classic 80’s sadsack feel, a quick sweep of Pitchfork should do the trick.